Mumbai: With clearance awaited for cluster redevelopment of the century-old Chikhalwadi Chawl in Tardeo under old Development Control Regulations (DCR), around 150 tenants who moved out of the chawl - sprawled across a 6,500 sq m area - have been left in the lurch, awaiting new homes for the past 12 years. Some tenants claim that the developer involved has stopped paying them rent for alternate accommodation for the past couple of years.
The developer involved has cited more recent DCR rules, that mandate a minimum road width of 18 m for cluster redevelopment, as the hurdle in execution of the project.
Rajan Pendurkar, 54, who shifted to alternative accommodation provided by the builder at Tardeo MP Mill Compound said, "The project has not moved an inch. We have seen five CMs, but no one has solved the problem. Moreover, the builder has stopped paying rent for the last four years. The owners of the transit houses are threatening that they will lock the houses if their dues are not cleared. We are facing extreme hardship."
Suraj Shetty, 30, another aggrieved tenant said that 150 tenants out of 276 families, including his family, moved out of their properties in 2007 trusting the developer.
“We have lost hope and want to return, as the builder has stopped paying rent. We have requested authorities to restore light and water supply. MHADA has stopped giving us rent receipts, raising uncertainty on our ownership rights. Today our Aadhaar card has our previous Chikhalwadi address, but we do not have rent receipts or electricity or water bills. Applying for a passport or any other government document has become a serious problem,” said Shetty.
Commenting on non-payment of rent, the developer undertaking the project, Rajendra Chaturvedi, founder of Shreepati Group, said, "I have been paying tenants rent for more than a decade, but in the last few years, the realty sector has been hit and so I am unable to pay them rent for the last two years. I will clear the dues soon."
Explaining why the project has been held up for years, Chaturvedi said, “The agreement of a joint venture with MHADA and issuance of allotment of IOD, CC was given in 2007, though I was associated with tenants from 2000. The project got delayed due to frequent changes in policy decisions. The earlier offered area per tenant was 180 sq ft, later it increased to 225 sq ft and again, as per the change in government policy, the area increased to 300 sq ft.”
“With the increased area, the project was not feasible to be undertaken as per DCR 33(7), and so MHADA authorised the project as per the cluster redevelopment plan under DCR 33(9). Again, a new proposal was put up and now the change in area per tenant is 425 sq ft. Our only petition is to allow the project to be undertaken as per the old DCR condition of 12 metres road width instead of 18 metres road width, as per the new DCR, since it is an ongoing project.”
The builder claimed MHADA had appealed to the state a few months ago, but due to the COVID crisis, the proposal is awaiting clearance. Chaturvedi added that a handful of tenants had opposed the project and five writ petitions were filed. However, in October 2019, a stay had been lifted by a court, allowing the builder to carry out the project, Chaturvedi claimed.
source https://www.freepressjournal.in/mumbai/with-chikhalwadi-chawl-redevelopment-stalled-misery-for-tenants-who-shifted-out
0 comments:
Post a Comment